[sustran] Germany: Court says drivers responsible for dodging Oktoberfest drunks

Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory edelman at greenidea.eu
Wed Sep 23 19:08:10 JST 2009


Some interesting insight into laws for driving in Germany... make sure 
you see link with comments

- T

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Court says drivers responsible for dodging Oktoberfest drunks
http://www.thelocal.de/society/20090915-21927.html
*
Four days before the world's largest beer festival begins, a German 
court has ruled that a motorcyclist who collided with a drunken 
pedestrian during Oktoberfest in 2006 was partly to blame because she 
should have expected the road to be full of party-goers.*
The female motorcyclist was driving at a legal speed of between 40 and 
50 km per hour (25 and 31 mph) around midnight during the festival three 
years ago when she hit a man who was crossing the road at a red light 
during the beer festival.

The Munich court ruled Monday that she "was 50 percent responsible" for 
the accident at the festival, which attracts millions of revellers every 
year.

"During the Octoberfest there are, it is well known to the authorities, 
a large number of drunk people on the streets at night, who can not 
always be trusted to observe the rules of the road," the court said.

"The motorcyclist should have adjusted her speed to be able to avoid 
these people," the statement added.

The woman was ordered to pay half of the damages, estimated at EUR2,500, 
and her bid for EUR1,000 compensation for minor injuries sustained in 
the accident was refused. The man she hit - who was fighting her demand 
for damages in court - was held responsible for the other half of the 
money because he was crossing the street illegally.

Oktoberfest runs form September 19 to October 4 this year.

AFP/The Local (news at thelocal.de <mailto:news at thelocal.de>)


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Todd Edelman
Green Idea Factory

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